You'd think it's just about knitting and travel, but it's really about life, love, faith...and food

Friday, June 8, 2012

Brady Scarf from Ruhama's - Day 5

The Knitting Prize Patrol...

I thought I’d be so much farther along by now! This is our fifth of six installments and I’ve got a clear foot--if not more--to go. On itty bitty #3 needles, no less. I’m such an impatient knitter!

I’ve discovered that being what I call “ambikniterous” is an advantage on this project. “Ambikniterous” is my self-coined term for being able to knit both Continental (or “pick) and English (or “throw”) styles. I consider it one of the best tools you can add to your toolbox as a knitter. A smart knitter can wield both.

Briefly put, Continental is faster, but English is more consistent. I don’t purl well in Continental, nor do I handle tricker stitches like yarn-overs, or pass-overs. On those long stretches of garter, however, Continental is the speed demon of knitting.

The good news is this isn’t an all-or-nothing endeavor. No stitch police will bang on my door for doing some rows in Continental and some in English. You can’t look at my scarf and tell I’ve switch hit. On the contrary, I think they ought to come applaud me for my inventive use of multiple skills. Rather like the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol, only with chocolate and yarn instead of flowers and a gigantic check. Don’t you think that’d be wonderful?

For the rows involving cast on and bind off stitches, I use American style. For the rows of garter in between, roar through using Continental. The only other trick I’ve adopted is that I can’t talk to you while doing the bind off or cast on rows, because I’ve proved--quite competently--that I can’t talk and count at the same time.

As it has all along, this continues to be a show-stopper. Tomorrow is Knit In Public day, and I’ll be taking this out and about. Everyone remarks on it--fellow knitters ask questions, people admire the color and pattern, everyone wants to touch it. I expect the same will be true when I finally do finish this scarf and I wear it, and that’s a good thing.